Evaluating the post-purchase dissonance of Sri Lankan buyers: An ethnographic approach

This research study was carried out to evaluate the Post Purchase Dissonance (PPD) of Sri Lankan buyers. The specific objectives of this study are to identify the PPD of Sri Lankan buyers; to examine its implications for consumers and marketers and to recommend remedial actions to reduce the dissonance. One of the popular qualitative methods ethnography has been employed by selecting 30 buyers from various parts of Sri Lanka with multiple ethnic compositions in each year for five consecutive years as a longitudinal study. A mixed sampling design is constituted by incorporating quota sampling and convenient sampling. Information gathered via interviews, observations and open-ended questionnaire. The findings derived by using the interpretive analysis discover that there are several personal factors determine the degree of PPD among Sri Lankan buyers. The PPD towards the SMCG is higher than the FMCG. During the impulse buying, there were very less chances for PPD. It is found that the WOM communication plays a powerful role in the determination of PPD among the Sri Lankan buyers. This study also promulgates since the findings support the similar research done in some of the South Asian countries, the buyers from South Asian countries show identical behavior in purchasing. Therefore, it is suggested that the buyers should consider their mental condition, family background and the opinion leaders’ advice to reduce the PPD and on the other hand the marketers should also consider internal and external factors of consumer behavior and adopt the appropriate marketing strategies to avoid the PPD of buyers.